Design Museum reveals images of its new home

The Design Museum is set to leave its current Shad Thames home to move into the Grade II*-listed former Commonwealth Institute in Holland Park. Architect John Pawson is working to redesign the building’s interior.

The new Design Museum will have a space of around 10 000m2 split over five floors.

The main exhibition space will be located on the ground floor, together with the café, bookshop and design store.

Second floor

The first floor will contain the administration and learning departments, design reference library and an open storage area.

The top floor will host an exhibition of the permanent collection, which will be designed by Studio Myerscough. There will also be a restaurant, event space and members’ room.

Second floor, showing the permanent exhibition

The basement will feature a second exhibition space, along with an auditorium, curatorial spaces, workshops, kitchens and back-of-house areas.

The newly released images show plans for a new entrance foyer as well as a mezzanine-level second-floor.

Exterior view

Pawson says, ‘Once inside, visitors will be naturally drawn up through the atrium space towards the hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure – the defining architectural gesture of the orginal design.’

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